Sunday 8/30/2009
Today I decided to attempt to ride 60 miles on my bike. Since it was the weekend I was a little more rested and had more time on my hands. So I figured, why not? It would be the most I have ridden so far this season, and I was looking for a new challenge.
A lot of people might think that 30 or 40 miles on a bicycle sounds like a lot, but with anything else in life, you get used to it; your body adapts. Usually by the time I hit the 40 mile mark I'm hurting a bit, but the last few times I had gone that far I hadn't had much trouble so I had my hopes up for today.
Normally before a long ride like this I have to suit up with the usual biking shorts and jersey boasting the extinct Fassa Bortolo Italian cycling team logo, two bottles of water, and several enegry bars. Then I adjusted my clip shoes and fastened my helmet strap before leaving my driveway and descending down the big hill nxt to my house that led to Highway 60. Long story short, after about 50 miles, I had circled around west Daviess County back to my neck of the woods. By now my back had been aching for 7-8 miles and it was starting to annoy me a little. Since this was the farthest I had ridden before, I thought that surely while still ten miles from home I would wear out and suffer from glucose exhaustion, affectionately called the "bonk" by professional cyclists. Somehow though, I managed a second wind and was able to power home over the final hilly terrain the goes to my house.
It's very hard to describe the euphoria one gets after completing a long trek such as this. It certainly is difficult, but those who have done it before can attest to the strong sense of accomplishment that one feels after riding a bike for that long.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
"Friendship Doubles Joy and Halves Grief" -Egypt
What does this Egyptian proverb mean to you?
I think this proverb states that when you are happy or otherwise joyful, it is multiplied and shared among your friends. Likewise, when you are troubled by sadness or hardship, that burden is divided and they help you carry it. That's what friends are for, no?
Oftentimes in our lives we're graced with happiness. A good grade on a test, a promotion at work, the birth of a son or daughter. We don't keep these things to ourselves- We spread our happiness and it transcends to others. These events in our lives are like tiny pebbles dropped into a pond. What starts out as something seemingly small expands and has a large impact on everything surounding it.
Just as we experience good times, we inevitably have to deal with the not so happy times. The death of a family member. A hard day at work or school. Even the smallest of trials seem huge when we have no one to aid us. When people die, usually at the funeral service many people attend to offer condolences and to grieve. Thus the grief that those closest to the person that died is lightened a little by others. That I think speaks a great deal about human nature. Our friends sustain us. They make the smallest victories and the greatest achievements all the more pleasurable, and the insignificant troubles and heart wrenching failures more bearable. Our friends make us endure; they are our source of support.
I think this proverb states that when you are happy or otherwise joyful, it is multiplied and shared among your friends. Likewise, when you are troubled by sadness or hardship, that burden is divided and they help you carry it. That's what friends are for, no?
Oftentimes in our lives we're graced with happiness. A good grade on a test, a promotion at work, the birth of a son or daughter. We don't keep these things to ourselves- We spread our happiness and it transcends to others. These events in our lives are like tiny pebbles dropped into a pond. What starts out as something seemingly small expands and has a large impact on everything surounding it.
Just as we experience good times, we inevitably have to deal with the not so happy times. The death of a family member. A hard day at work or school. Even the smallest of trials seem huge when we have no one to aid us. When people die, usually at the funeral service many people attend to offer condolences and to grieve. Thus the grief that those closest to the person that died is lightened a little by others. That I think speaks a great deal about human nature. Our friends sustain us. They make the smallest victories and the greatest achievements all the more pleasurable, and the insignificant troubles and heart wrenching failures more bearable. Our friends make us endure; they are our source of support.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Which relative am I most like? How? Why?
Although I somewhat resent it, the relative I most closely resemble is my father. We share not only many physical attributes and other features in appearance, but our mannerisms are very similar. Sometimes almost too similar.
My father is a relatively tall, solidly built, and has a commanding physical appearance. Likewise, I am pretty much an exact copy of my father physically, although a little taller and a little less gifted in the midsection, which I am sure age plays a role in.
Even though we are physically alike, the main ways we are similar is in our personalities. My father enjoys joking around, and will often tease someone to the point of extreme annoyance, a habit that I have found to be capable of also. My father also is very, boisterous, to say the least, in general everyday conversation.
While I do get quite a few laughs for the funniness in my genes, I also think it puts people off a bit. While there's a time to cut up and joke around, there are also times where it is totally inappropriate. You know that guy that just keeps on and keeps on joking around and it quickly progresses from being humorous to rude and obnoxious.
Both of us are also huge control freaks. We have to be in control the majority of the time and if we aren't, we're unhappy, although I think I'm a little better at dealing with it than my dad.
Although some aspects of our personalities are double-edged swords, I am thankful for the uniqueness that I do have, whatever it may be.
Although I somewhat resent it, the relative I most closely resemble is my father. We share not only many physical attributes and other features in appearance, but our mannerisms are very similar. Sometimes almost too similar.
My father is a relatively tall, solidly built, and has a commanding physical appearance. Likewise, I am pretty much an exact copy of my father physically, although a little taller and a little less gifted in the midsection, which I am sure age plays a role in.
Even though we are physically alike, the main ways we are similar is in our personalities. My father enjoys joking around, and will often tease someone to the point of extreme annoyance, a habit that I have found to be capable of also. My father also is very, boisterous, to say the least, in general everyday conversation.
While I do get quite a few laughs for the funniness in my genes, I also think it puts people off a bit. While there's a time to cut up and joke around, there are also times where it is totally inappropriate. You know that guy that just keeps on and keeps on joking around and it quickly progresses from being humorous to rude and obnoxious.
Both of us are also huge control freaks. We have to be in control the majority of the time and if we aren't, we're unhappy, although I think I'm a little better at dealing with it than my dad.
Although some aspects of our personalities are double-edged swords, I am thankful for the uniqueness that I do have, whatever it may be.
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